VISUAL ART

BELLEVUE ART MUSEUM

301 Bellevue Square, Bellevue, 425-454-3322.

KURDISTAN: IN THE SHADOW OF HISTORY

Photographer Susan Meiselas has assembled this exhibition exploring the culture and identity of the beleaguered Kurds through photographs, newspaper stories, memoirs, and telegrams. This fragmented narrative--including the words of freedom fighters, farmers, missionaries, and spies--echoes the dislocation of a stateless people. Through June 11.

CENTER ON CONTEMPORARY ART

65 Cedar St, 728-1980.

THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING: ART, IMAGES, AND LITERATURE FROM THE WTO PROTESTS

One of the happier results of the protests last fall is this ongoing dialogue in various arts about it, and about the idea of protest in general. Some very good artists have contributed to this show, including Friese Undine, Deborah Lawrence, and Cause B. (a graffiti writer featured earlier this year at Consolidated Works). Opening night performances include the excellent Source of Labor, Cirque de Flambé, and Kultur Shock. The opening event ($5) is Sat June 3 from 4 pm until midnight, and the show runs through July 1.

CONSOLIDATED WORKS

410 Terry Ave N, 860-5245.

*SHEILA KLEIN

Sculptor Sheila Klein works in a wide range of media and scale, from enormous public art commissions to small conceptual pieces (including proposals to ornament city skylines with jewelry), but it all bears her trademark humor and excellent eye. This show of recent sculpture includes interactive hanging tents (viewers are invited to climb in) and a fortress made of... giant Spandex pants. Through June 30.

FRYE ART MUSEUM

701 Terry Ave, 622-9250.

THOMAS HART BENTON

Perhaps best known for his dense, saturated murals (the likes of which adorn city halls across the country), Benton also was a great traveler, and recorded what he saw in America's remote regions. His drawings chronicle the country's change from an agricultural nation to an industrialized one. Through June 25.

GRAHAM NICKSON

The British-born Nickson, well known for his figurative painting, has been painting bathers for the last 20 years. This subject certainly has deep roots in the history of art (Cézanne, Degas), and Nickson makes his mark with vivid, just-this-side-of-natural colors. Through July 16.

ROBERT SCHWARTZ

Contemporary allegorical work. Through June 4.

HENRY ART GALLERY

15th Ave NE at NE 41st St, 543-2280.

TONY OURSLER

Oursler's video works are characteristically creepy--for example, projections of facial features that give a weird, transparent life to inanimate objects. His installation at the Henry is called The Empty Cabinet, but knowing Oursler, "empty" is a relative term. Through July 30.

SHIFTING GROUND: TRANSFORMED VIEWS OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE

It's such a ubiquitous subject, and so often maligned. Here's a show that makes a gallant effort to show how landscape portrayal has changed over time, and by implication, how our attitude toward the land has been altered in the process. Certainly an exhibition that encompasses both Albert Bierstadt's Manifest Destiny--like paintings and Robert Smithson's earthworks can make such a jump in perspective visible. Through Aug 20.

SEATTLE ASIAN ART MUSEUM

1400 E Prospect St, Volunteer Park, 654-3100.

THE ART OF PROTEST

Social and political issues addressed through a variety of media, including the photography of Walker Evans and the mordant commentary of Jenny Holzer. Fang Lijun's enormous woodcut, No. 19, dominates the exhibition. Through Jan 21, 2001.

PAUL HORIUCHI

One of the Northwest's venerable masters is remembered in an exhibition spanning his work from the 1930s through his death in 1999. Through June 11.

TACOMA ART MUSEUM

12th and Pacific, Tacoma, 253-272-4258.

FAST FORWARD: THE SHAPE OF NORTHWEST DESIGN

It's no longer news: Design is irrevocably part of our visual culture. It doesn't make this show any less interesting, however, since the best design, like the best art, continues to delight and surprise. Participants range from the ubiquitous (Microsoft, Boeing) to Anoek Minneboo, a furniture designer recently named one of I.D. Magazine's hot young designers under 30. Through June 18.

WING LUKE ASIAN MUSEUM

407 Seventh Ave S, 623-5124.

THROUGH OUR EYES

An extensive exhibition of Asian American photography of the Northwest, from journalism to fine art. It includes the photography of Frank Matsura--who emigrated from Japan at the turn of the century (the last one) and documented the Okanogan frontier--through the contemporary work of Dean Wong and Jessica Kim. Through April 8, 2001.

WRIGHT EXHIBITION SPACE

407 Dexter Ave N, 264-8200.

*THE WRIGHT COLLECTION

Virginia and Bagley Wright have rehung their foundation's exhibit space, devoting one gallery entirely to their great collection of '60s and '70s color field paintings, and introducing a large David Salle oil and the John Baldessari piece Two Onlookers and Tragedy to the mix. Other highlights include a Robert Longo, Eric Fischl, a huge Warhol Rorschach, and Jules Olitski's Thigh Smoke. Open-ended run.

OPENING EXHIBITIONS

KEITH CARTER, LARRY CALKINS

Two artists exhibiting utterly personal work, in two entirely different media. Carter's photographs of his adopted home--East Texas, reflect the popular culture of that odd place; Calkins fashions relic-like objects from wood, cloth, metal, dirt, and clay. Opening reception Thurs June 1, 5:30-8 pm. G. Gibson Gallery, 122 S Jackson St, Suite 200, 587-5751. Through July 1.

LAURIE CINOTTO

Cinotto is adept at balancing kitsch and nostalgia, the arched eyebrow with the pangs of real memory. In this installation entitled Bird Lore, she uses all manner of objects--crocheted doilies, styrofoam birds, sequins, and feathers--to poke at the embedded past. Opening reception Thurs June 1, 6-8 pm. King County Art Gallery, 506 Second Ave, Room 200, 296-7580. Through June 30.

TIM CURCHOD

Collage and painting about artists at work. Opening reception Sat June 3, 6-10 pm. Trapeze Gallery, 1130 34th Ave, 329-3363. Through June 30.

MARK DANIELSON

Mid-century suburbia: safe haven or claustrophobic death trap? Danielson's paintings offer just enough to make the question clear. Opening reception Sat June 3, 6-8 pm. Howard House, 2017 Second Ave, 256-6399. Through July 1.

JAMES DEITZ, INGE NØRGAARD

There's something quite charming and also slightly sinister about Deitz's paintings, which feature everyday objects interacting socially on surfaces that are thick and scraped and obscuring. Nørgaard's small tapestries are framed in woven strips of old gasoline cans. Opening reception Sun June 4, 2-4 pm. Francine Seders Gallery, 6701 Greenwood Ave N, 782-0355. Through June 25.

PAUL GREEN

Very detailed, very precise paintings, rife with sexual symbolism and a kind of moral ambivalence about eroticism. Also at Davidson is the Northwest Print Invitational, this month featuring Washington artists. Davidson Galleries, 313 Occidental Ave, 624-7684. Through July 1.

RICHARD HUTTER

Hutter seems to draw inspiration from two rather opposing camps: a purity of shape and color associated with minimalism, and the catchall aesthetic of collage. His panels speak to each tradition, but are hardly exercises in conflict; rather, they're as calm and intriguing as Buddhist koans. Opening reception Thurs June 1, 6-8 pm. Lisa Harris Gallery, 1922 Pike Place, 443-3315. Through June 30.

LE DEBUT

Five graphic-design students from the Art Institute (Josh Sellers, Tiffany Stone, Alex Toussaint, Steven Bacon, and Jennifer Martin, who go by the collective name "Allure") show their fine-art work. Opening reception Thurs June 1, 6-10 pm. Ace Studios, 619 Western Ave, Third Floor. For information, call 448-0900, ext 2251. Through June 25.

*KAREN LIEBOWITZ

See Stranger Suggests. Opening reception Sat June 3, 6-10 pm. SOIL Artist Cooperative, 12th and Pike, 264-8061. Through June 25.

RICHARD LEWIS

The method is at least as interesting as the work: Lewis makes large-scale contact prints from homemade cameras (which are included in the exhibition) and paper negatives. On opening night, he'll also have a camper-cum-instant-camera on display. Opening reception Mon June 5, 6-10 pm. The Pound Gallery, 1216 10th Ave, 323-0557. Through June 27.

*ENRIQUE MARTÍNEZ CELAYA

Los Angeles artist Martínez Celaya gives watercolor a good name. His delicate, involved work uses repeating images, such as birds or flowers or human heads, to examine the interior meanderings of the mind. Far from being precious, his work is disturbing and sort of obsessive. In the best of ways. Eyre/Moore Gallery, 913 Western Ave, 624-5596. Through July 1.

NEEDY ARTIST FELLOWSHIP EXHIBITION

Work by the eight nominees for this annual award, given by the Behnke Foundation: George Chacona, Deborah Mersky, Mary Ann Peters, and Liza von Rosenstiel (all in painting), and Lita Batho, Patrick Holderfield, Claudia Fitch, and Hele Lessick (in sculpture). Opening reception Tues June 6, 5:30 pm. Bank of America Gallery, 701 Fifth Ave, Third Floor, 585-3200. Through July 7.

ROSTARR

RoStarr is actually the brand name of artist and graphic designer Romon Yang. This show is only partly about his paintings, which feature bold patterns of bright Rorschach-y blots. The rest is a collaboration with Colab, a New York City-based fusion of art and marketing, which mounts art in lightboxes so that it's as visible as advertising. Opening reception Thurs June 1, 7-9 pm. Houston, 907 E Pike St, 860-7820. Through July 13.

JOHN STAMETS, FORD GILBREATH

For a while, Stamets seemed to be an unlucky guy to have around new construction: He's the photographer who took those classic pictures of Husky Stadium collapsing, and was on hand to snap Hammering Man as it fell during installation. His current photographs are of museums under construction, including the strange evolution of the Experience Music Project. Gilbreath's subjects examine woodlands from animal perspectives. Opening reception Thurs June 1, 6-8 pm. Esther Claypool Gallery, 617 Western Ave, 264-1586. Through July 1.

MARIAM AZIZA STEPHAN

A series of drawings called Stranded by this sure-handed artist. Opening reception Thurs June 1, 7-10 pm. Two Bells Tavern, 2313 Fourth Ave, 441-3050. Through Aug 1.

*WHITING TENNIS

Tennis' work can be deceptively homely. He tends to reach back to decidedly un-hip precedents in art--quilting, still life--and then he renders them sharp and new. These new paintings, classically arranged still lifes with fruit and flowers, have a kind of pervasive chill that keeps them an arm's length from sweet. Opening reception Thurs June 1, 6-8 pm. Grover/Thurston Gallery, 309 Occidental Ave S, 223-0816. Through July 1.

Henry Turmon

The exploration of vessel-as-form is traditionally a feminine subject, but Turmon takes it on to fine effect. His sculpture and drawings in this new show draw on imaginative and metaphorical objects, such as the genie's lamp. Opening reception Thurs June 1, 6-8 pm. James Harris Gallery, 309A Third Ave S, 903-6220. Through July 1.

MARK VERCAMMEN

Black-and-white photographs in blurred close-up and vertiginous perspective. Opening reception Sat June 3, 7-9 pm. Lux Coffeebar, 2226 First Ave, 443-0962. Through June 30.

BRANDON ZEBOLD

Zebold "draws" on steel using a flame-cutter. Now that's a powerful pen. Opening reception Thurs June 1, 6-8 pm. Bryan Ohno Gallery, 155 S Main, 667-9572. Through July 1.

CONTINUING EXHIBITIONS

ROSS PALMER BEECHER

In a new series of multi-media entitled Great Film Directors, Beecher honors the film industry's giants. Her assemblages of fabricated metal and old camera parts create elaborate frames for Alfred Hitchcock, Werner Herzog, and Orson Welles--the directors, in short, who put frames around everyday and not-so-everyday life. Greg Kucera Gallery, 212 Third Ave S, 624-0770. Through June 15.

*CHERYL COMSTOCK

The themes are life and death, and the aesthetic is based on so-called women's work. Comstock combines decorative motifs and patterning (associated with such crafts as embroidery and quilting), recognizable iconography such as skeletons, and flora in various stages of bloom and decay. Greg Kucera Gallery, 212 Third Ave S, 624-0770. Through June 15.

COOK & WALSH, NHON NGUYEN

Cook and Walsh collaborate in the high tiers of kitsch and functional art; the former works in metal and the latter paints on it, using images as familiar and campy as Cindy Brady, monkey skulls, and wrestlers. Nguyen's paintings of breakdancers are fluid and active, but have a dreamy, muted quality that is quite unexpected. Roq La Rue, 2224 Second Ave, 374-8977. Through June 3.

BETSY EBY

Encaustic and mixed-media. Ballard/Fetherston Gallery, 818 E Pike St, 322-9440. Through June 10.

PAMELA KEELEY, BILL DURGIN

The figure is in the foreground. Keeley apparently can draw with both hands at once, and her pleasingly loose faces and bodies rest on the surface of the work. Durgin's large-format photography shows perfect bodies at close range, and at second look, they're too perfect--in fact, they're mannequins. Eyre/Moore Gallery, 913 Western Ave, 624-5596. Through June 19.

*MIRROR'S EDGE

Get yourself up to Canada to see this touring show--Vancouver is as close as it's coming to Seattle--featuring work by international artists rarely shown in the U.S. Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby St, Vancouver, BC, 604-662-4700. Through Aug 13.

PRINTWORKS 2000

Yet another show with "2000" in the title, but there's good work to be seen here and (not incidentally) it's one of the great benefits of the "one-percent-for-arts" funds. Among the City of Seattle's recent acquisitions are prints by Dirk Park, whose chemically etched work has an eerie and beautiful biological feel, and C. Blake Haygood, whose drypoint prints resemble inventions from the mind of Dr. Seuss, though slightly more sinister. Key Tower Gallery, Fifth and Cherry, Third Floor. Through July 14.

STUDENT EXHIBITIONS

It's that time of year--the trees are budding, the birds are singing, and young artists are decorating the walls. By definition such shows are a mixed bag, but there's a real thrill in finding talent. UW's Master of Fine Art candidates have the nicest venue: the South Gallery of the Henry; their exhibition runs through June 25. The North Seattle Community College exhibition is at 9600 College Way N, and is up through June 9. Shoreline Community College's show (16101 Greenwood Ave N) is up through Sept 1.

LINO TAGLIAPIETRA

These glass forms are lovely--shapely, organic, and shot through with mysterious color. There's a lot of hack glass out there, but Tagliapietra is a maestro, in the actual and metaphorical sense of the word. William Traver Gallery, 110 Union St, Second Floor, 587-6501. Through July 2.

*WORKING TITLE

An exploration of the labor of art--what happens between concept and object. Kirkland Arts Center, 620 Market St, Kirkland, 425-822-7161. Through June 2.

SARA YEAROUT

Slightly eerie characters are embedded in Yearout's canvases, which are alternatively heavily painted and barely brushed. The unexpected contrast makes these paintings an interesting balancing act. Baas Gallery, 2703 E Madison, 324-4742. Through June 3.

EVENTS

*BEYOND SENSE

This event, the second this spring, is a project of the Youth Art Collective, and my art spies tell me that there was some excellent work at the last one, in all kinds of media, including performance. There's no reason not to support this grassroots effort, and we love to see artists before they become victims of their own pieties. The festival runs Fri-Sun June 2-4 at 1835 12th Ave. For more information, call Seattle Young People's Project at 860-9606.

*Open House

Cheers to this architecture firm for putting together an evening of art, video, and performance. There will be visual art by excellent local artists Jeff Miller, Claire Cowie, Leo Berk, Yuki Nakamura, and Sean Vale; video from Microcinema's Independent Exposure; and poetry/performance from the inimitable Typing Explosion. Mahlum Architects, 71 Columbia St, Fourth Floor, Thurs June 1, 8 pm. For information, call 441-4151.

SOTHEBY'S HEIRLOOM DISCOVERY DAY

Like the Antique Roadshow, right here at SAM! For $30, you can have an expert tell you what your junk is worth, Sat June 3 from 10 am-5 pm. There's also an "Evening of Discovery" where, for $125, you get music, hors d'oeuvres, and discussion, too. For information, call 654-3198.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS

THE POUND GALLERY OPEN

An excellent opportunity to show at one of Seattle's best (and unfortunately, last) alternative spaces. The exhibition is being put on in partnership with Home Alive. Deadlines are soon: June 9 for mailed entries, June 11 for hand-delivered. Applications are floating around town (try Second Avenue Pizza), or call 323-0557.